Kinect Sales Reportedly Weak in Japan

According to some early reports, the Japanese launch of Microsoft’s Kinect has been more than a little bumpy.

This comes from a Mantan-Web report (translated by 1UP) on the media retailer Tsutaya. It claims that the controller-free system is selling at about a quarter the pace of its competitor, Sony’s PlayStation Move. It also states that the majority of Kinect sales have been from those who own the Xbox platform already, rather than attracting new Xbox users the way it has here in the States.

Looks like someone tipped them off that you need way more room in front of your TV for Kinect than the average Japanese gamer actually has. Or maybe they were miffed that Kinectimals doesn’t include a fuzzy Godzilla pet you can play with and name Skittles? Either way, Microsoft is gonna have their work cut out for them convincing that market to play along.

Danl is a home-grown Minnesotan gamer, artist, and programmer. He loves rhythm games, RTS, and platformers. He loves building computers, too. His favorite games include Phoenix Wright, Dance Dance Revolution, and Katamari Damacy.